


Carole

by astraplain



Category: Glee
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-26
Updated: 2015-05-26
Packaged: 2018-04-01 07:36:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 988
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4011298
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/astraplain/pseuds/astraplain
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nine months after Finn's death, Carole receives a wake up call. Not Blaine-friendly.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Carole

Carole woke on a Thursday morning in the cereal aisle of the Lima SuperMart. She stared at the box of Cocoa Puffs in her hand for a long minute before returning it to the shelf as if it were an unexploded bomb.

The grocery cart was half-full with the usual assortment of bread, milk, and vegetables. She crumpled the shopping list in her hand as she gripped the cart handle, pushing toward the cashier on unsteady legs.

The drive home felt like an expedition into uncharted territory. Carole staggered into the house with the groceries and dumped them on the kitchen counter. Sorting the produce and putting away the milk calmed her, as did the cup of tea she brewed in the microwave. It was a peppermint blend that Kurt gave her months ago. The box was almost full, apparently forgotten while she sleepwalked through the last… she checked the calendar and wanted to cry. Nine months.

Escaping to the living room, Carole took in her surroundings. How had she let everything go like this? It wasn’t that the house was dirty, but there was a feeling of neglect clinging to everything from the outdated magazines to throw pillows askew on the sofa. She picked up one of the pillows and hugged it, perching on the edge of Burt’s recliner while she tried to decide how to proceed.

It wasn’t that she was unaware of what had happened and what she had been doing all those months since Finn but none of it seemed real. Now everything felt like too much, from her rapid heartbeat to the over-bright colors of the photos on the wall. Closing her eyes, she sank back on the chair, taking comfort from the faint scent of Burt. They’d been apart so much lately and now Burt was back in Washington making up for the time he’d spent visiting Kurt in the hospital.

Panic shot through Carole and she leaped to her feet, fumbling in her pocket for her phone. Before she could make a call, the house phone rang.

“Kurt?” she almost shouted into the receiver. The person at the other line hesitated a moment before responding.

“No, I’m–. That is, Hi. My name is Adam Crawford. I’m a friend of Kurt’s from NYADA.”

“I remember,” Carole assured the flustered man, making an effort to keep her voice calm when all she wanted to do was snap at him. She needed to talk to Kurt, not one of his friends. Not even a friend who’d never met Finn but had sent a floral arrangement for the funeral.

“I just,” Adam cleared his throat and started again. “I’m sorry. I’ve been in London so I just heard about Kurt. I tried calling him but my calls don’t seem to be getting through. I was hoping you would tell me how he was doing?”

“He’s better.” Carole knew the facts - Kurt was out of the hospital and back at school and work – but now that she was aware again, she wouldn’t believe he was alright until she saw him. “If you give me your number, I’ll have him call you.”

“That’s not necessary. I don’t know if he’d want to speak to me. We didn’t part on the best terms.” Adam paused and cleared his throat. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have called. I just… If you would please tell him that I wish him well.”

“Adam,” Carole spoke firmly but gently. A surge of determination made her reach for a pen and paper. “Give me your number please.” There wasn’t a young man alive who could defy that tone; she’d perfected it with years of practice on Finn and Puck. “I will tell Kurt you called and he will decide if he wants to talk to you.”

“Thank you. I… I do care about him and would like to be his friend if he’d have me and it wouldn’t upset Blaine.”

“Why would it upset Blaine?” Carole asked. She frowned at the photo pinned to the fridge of Kurt and Blaine surrounded by a sea of friends at Dalton. Everyone was smiling, but Kurt’s was more of a grimace and it didn’t reach his eyes. How long had she been sleeping? 

“I don’t think Blaine likes that the fact that Kurt and I dated. Not that it mattered in the end,” Adam’s laugh was bitter. “Kurt still chose him.” Adam cleared his throat again and there was a long moment of awkward silence before he said, “I’m sorry. I should go.” He recited his number, waiting for her to repeat it back before saying goodbye.

Carole set the phone down deliberately and circled the downstairs, looking at all of the recent photos scattered around. There were fewer of Finn because Kurt had gathered them for the memory book. In their place were new photos of Kurt and Blaine. She picked one at random and studied it, disturbed at the slope of Kurt’s shoulders and the flatness in his eyes. How had she missed this?

It felt like an eternity ago when Kurt had sat beside her, tears streaking his face as he told her that Blaine had cheated. A few months later he sat in that same place and told her about the wonderful new man he’d met at NYADA. Adam was all they’d talked about for a while, and then suddenly Kurt was wearing Blaine’s ring and his bright smile had transformed into what she saw in those photos. That had happened before she’d lost Finn, when her concern had been sending her baby to college. How could she have let herself lose sight of her other son?

“No more,” she told herself, standing straight and picking up her cell phone. She gripped the paper with Adam’s number as she dialed Kurt. She’d let things slip in the past year, but she was awake now and it was time to set things right.

::end::


End file.
